SDFM The Business of Defense
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The Labor Department is out with its very first smartphone app. It\'s designed to let anyone track the hours they work and the wages due to them. The idea, according to Labor is to let employees keep their own records, so they don\'t have to rely on their employers\' systems. The department says that information can prove invaluable when it comes to disputes filed with the Labor Department\'s Wage and Hour Division. For now, the app is for iPhone only, but Labor says they\'re exploring other devices.
May 19, 2011 -
The FCC and FEMA have teamed up with the wireless industry to create a new emergency warning system for mobile devices. The Personal Localized Alerting Network is designed to blast emergency messages to every mobile device in a geographic area -- regardless of where that phone came from or what network it\'s on. The nation\'s four largest wireless carriers are part of the effort, which will come online by the end of the year in New York City, and in the rest of the country by next spring.
May 19, 2011 -
The Census Bureau is experimenting with ways to collect data using the Internet. The bureau didn\'t use online data collection for the 2010 Census, but officials say they are already getting responses via the Internet for their ongoing American Community Survey. By the end of the year, they expect one million people to have responded to the ACS online, and many people are using mobile devices to respond to the survey. The Bureau plans to use what they learn to plan online efforts for the full 2020 Census.
May 19, 2011 -
The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development have decided to partner with the private sector to get basic health information to expectant mothers in developing countries. The Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action will focus on delivering critical information to mothers in areas where mobile phones are plentiful, but health care access is scarce. The first round will focus on Bangladesh, South Africa and India. From there, they hope to build it into a global program.
May 19, 2011 -
The Army will turn to members of the public and industry to help it develop software more quickly. Their first Apps For Army challenge was open only to Army employees, but officials say the second round will tap into industry as part of the buildup to the forthcoming Army applications Marketplace. The Army says it wants to use the challenge to deliver new software capabilities in as little as 90 days, and generate applications that can be used on any platform -- whether mobile or desktop.
May 19, 2011 -
The US Department of Agriculture wanted to make food safety information available to people where and when they actually need it, like in the kitchen, at the barbecue grill or the grocery store. So they developed a web-based mobile application to answer some of the most common questions about preparing, handling and storing food. The app, which they\'re calling \"Ask Karen,\" lets users search through a list of about 1,500 questions designed to help prevent foodborne illness. It\'s optimized for Android, iPhone and iPad devices, but will work with most mobile phones.
May 19, 2011 -
Join us for a Special Edition of The Business of Government Hour a Conversation with Authors -- exploring national security, power, and intelligence in the 21st century.
May 18, 2011 -
Earl Tucker President, Council 224 Jim Marshall President, Council 215 Witold Skwierczynski President, Council 220 Agatha Joseph President, Council 109
May 18, 2011 -
Census and DISA are losing the hardwires in favor of mobility.
May 16, 2011 -
May 9th and May 11th Business of Government Hour a Conversation with Authors -- exploring national security, power, and intelligence in the 21st century.
May 12, 2011 -
Scott Paul Executive Director, Alliance for American Manufacturing Barbara Heckman-Sauer 2nd Vice President, AFGE Local 2281 Robyn Kehoe Director of Field Operations, Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund
May 11, 2011 -
The Senate Intelligence Committee and Senate Armed Services committees have been granted permission to see the photographs of Osama Bin Laden after he was killed. The CIA has asked them to make an appointment to see them. President Barack Obama said last week making the photos available for public viewing because it could incite violence and be used by al Qaeda as a propaganda tool. The committee members on the other hand have top secret clearances and are bound by them and can not reveal any details about anything that is top secret.
May 11, 2011 -
The CIA declined to comment on a report that the identity of the Station Chief in Islamabad had been exposed. By all accounts the Agency seems to be suggesting it will not bring home the station chief. It was just last December that the identity of the previous station chief in Pakistan was leaked and had to be recalled immediately, for his own safety. Experts say sour relations between the U.S. and Pakistan is the reason why this kind of thing is happening. They say the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistani territory without their knowledge by U.S. forces is likely the reason behind the lack of cooperation.
May 11, 2011 -
President Barack Obama met with troops at Fort Campbell in Kentucky to congratulate them on the success of special forces units based there that killed Al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. While there, he reiterated his intention to start pulling back U.S. forces from Afghanistan this summer, and also indicated Bin Laden\'s demise shows the U.S. strategy is working. The President spoke to a general military audience and then met privately with the Navy Seals that carried out the Bin Laden mission.
May 11, 2011 -
Fort Campbell is going to be the scene of a visit today by President Obama. He\'s expected to meet with some of those involved in the military assault that killed Osama bin Laden. Fort Campbell is home to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which participated in the raid against bin Laden. A team of Navy SEALs raided a compound in Pakistan, killing the terrorist mastermind. Bin Laden was later buried at sea. Authorities are combing through effects he left behind.
May 11, 2011